Doll eyes



.July l, E929., A. BEYLER DOLL EYES Filed May 27, 1927 Patented VJuly 16, 1929-.

UNITED STATES ATENT orifice.Y

ALBERT IBEYLER, OF 'MANNHEIM-NECKERAU, GERMANY, -ASSIGNQR TO RHEINSCHE GUMMI- 'UND CELLULOID-FABRIK, 0F MANNHEIM-NECKERAU, GERMANY.

noni. nvns.

Application led May 27, A192137, Serial No. 194,801,vand in Germany May 31, 1,926.

" It has hitherto been the practice to make Athese eyes by turnably supporting connected f veyeballs in gypsum supports provided on the inside of the head and allowing said eyeballs to swing by the aid of a lweight eccentrically mounted on the connecting member so that, when the doll is laid down, the iris of each eyeball disappears and a fiesh-tinted coat of paint appears in its place in the orbit. These customary mechanical eyes eX- hibit various defects, especially that of clos- Y in in an unnatural manner; they are easily lia le to damage; and the gypsum supports, situated laterally in relation to the orbit show up, in a patchy or shadowy form, through the celluloid or other translucent material of which the dolls head is made. .There is also arisk of the pivotable parts vbecoming jammed in the supports.

Other mechanical eyes are also known in which the eyeballs are stationary whereas imitations'of'the eyelids are connected together b a stay, which is either mounted in special earings on the head or bears (by means of its concave outer ends) against the mutually facing sides of the-eyeballs. This arrangement, however, Vis diilicult to mount and is particularly liable to jam.

This invention avoids all the defects of known arrangements in that use is made of conehoidal eyelids formed of thin, light and elastic-material moulded to hallow or substantially semi-spherical shape and loosely surrounding or mounted on the eyeballs which latter are xed and serve as pivots for the lids; The two hollow or semi-spherical eyelids are preferably connected together by a light stay orV bridge to. the centre of which is attached a small eccentric weight. in the' front side of each eyelid a narrow gap is provided in shape correspondin with the eye orbit in the dolls head and said gap is so ldisposed that when the doll is in upri ht position, the iris is visible through the or it. As the eyelid unit for both eyes is extremely light, and as the actuating weight can also be made very light, the eye structure cannot easily ecome damaged by shock, for. example when the doll is allowed to fall.

The, invention also provides for adjustably securing the eyeballs in the head 4of thedoll a manner to serve as bearings for the lids, so that no lid fastenings will be visible from the outside.

In order that the invention ma understood, reference will now b' the accompanying drawings, which typically illustrate the invention in diagrammatical form as applied to a dolls head made of celluloidor lthe like.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the dolls head, partly in section; Y

2 is a front elevation of the same;`

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, on a largerv scale, showing the eyes with the movable eyelids 1n open and closed positions respectively with the head in vertical and horizontal inclination; v

Fig. 5 is a plan of the means for securing the eyeballs in place, the dolls head being omitted; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the eyebe clearly lids prior to being placed on the eyeballs,

the pendulum weight being omitted.

In the drawing, a represents the dolls head provided with the eye orbits b; c is a crossbar iixed in the head and having a longitudinal slot Z,'in which small rods or wires e are adjustably secured by means of nuts g and washers, while f denotes the glass eyes of the usual type, attached to the front ends of the wires.

The eyeballs are adjusted on lthe crossbar- 'c so that the distance between their centres corresponds to the distance between the centres of the orbits b in the head a.

Reference z. denotes the eyelid-members formed of thin elastic material such as celluloid moulded to hollow shell or socket form which (as shown more particularly in Figs. 3-5) are slightly more than hemispherical in shape and have an internal diameterv slightly larger than the external diameter only of the spherical leyeballs These shells or calottes constituting the; eyee made to lids, have gaps lc correspondingin size and shape to the eye orbits b. A small bridgerod or thin tube Z, preferably of Celluloid or .the like, connects the two shells or eyelids 'i together in such manner that the distance between their centres corresponds to that of the eyeballs f. The unit composed of the two shells z' andthe bridge Z (shown separately in Fig. 6) is slip ed engageably over the eyeballs f fastene to the crossbar c. Owing to the thinness and elasticity of the material of which the shells z' are made, it is usually possi-ble'to slide or snap them over 'the eyeballs by exerting a fairly strong pressure, whereupon, they remain so secure that there is no risk of their afterwards becoming detached. This is due to the fact that the eyelid members covex` more than a hemispherical portion of the eyeballs.

As indicated in the drawing the unit com-v posed of the two shells i and the bridge Z may also be made in two parts which can be connected together when in position on the eyeballs. In an-y event, when. assembled, the hollow semi-spheres z' surround 'the eyeballs so as to be easily rotatable thereon without any risk of becoming detached;

A small' pendulum weight m, of lead or the like, is eccentrically att-'ached to the bridge l by means of'a small rod n, which may be of wire or celluloid. o are eyelashes attached to the inside of the shells z'.

The eye structure assembled in the manner desclibed can be securel fixed to the head by means ofthe bar 0, t e latter being disposed crosswise of the head. The example shows a particularl suitable method of attachment to the hea use' being made of an inwardly. bent edge or flan e a1 at the opening provided in the back o the head, which opening is eventually concealed by the hair. For this purpose, the bar c is provided at both ends with slots c1 which grip the edge a1. In this manner the bar can .be securely attached to a head, even when the latter is made of thin material, such as celluloid, and it can be fixed in position by any known means, such as glue, Celluloid solution or the like.

It will be seen that the eyeballs f are set or adjusted at such ai distance from the face side of the head a as to leave, between the orbits b and e eballs f, a narrow slit in which the eyeli s i can move freely. When the dolls head is inclined from the position shown in Fig. 3, the thin eyelids gradually close over the fixed irises and pupils, so that there is no change in the osition of the eyes, which are according y closed in a life-like manner.A

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a dolls head, an eye structure comprising eyeballs held in fixed position with- 1n the head contiguous to eye orbit openin formed in the face of the latter; thm semi-spherically formed eyelids loosely engaging over the eyeballs in substantial encompassment thereof and having gaps exposing the iris portions of said balls, and

means acting [to maintain the eyelids always in the same vertical position.

Q .In a dolls head, an eye structure comprlslng eyeballs held in-fixed position within the head contiguous to eye orbit o enings therein so as to leave a sli ht space tween said balls and the front. ace of the head; eyelid-members in the form of semi-spherical sockets en aging over said eyeballs for more than a emspherical portlon thereof so as to be pivotally movable thereon Within said space; means connecting the eye-lids for unitary movement; and means acting by gravity to maintain the eyelids always in the same vertical osition.

3. In a dols head, an eye structure. comprising eyeball-members; means supporting said members from the back of the head in fixed position behind eye orbit openings therein so as to leave a slight space between said members and the front face of the head; eyelid-members in the form of thin thereon, a bridge-member connecting the eyelids; and a weight suspended from said bridge-member.

4. In a dolls head, an eye structure comprising a bar bridging the opening in the ack of the head over which the hair is attached a pair of rods extending forwardly from the bar, two e eballs fixed one on the forward end of eac of said rods adjacent the e e orbits in the head, eyelids in the form of t in partly-spherical sockets ivotally supported on the eyeballs, a cross ar connecting the eyelids, and a weight suspended from the crossbar.

5. In a dolls head, an eye structure comprising a slotted bar bridging the opening in the back of the head over` which the hair is attached, a air of rods adjustably secured in the slot 1n t e bar and extending'forwardlfy from the bar, two eyeballs fixed one on the orward end of each of said rods adjacent the eye orbits in the head, eyelids inthe form of thin (partly-spherical sockets pivotally supporte on the'eyeballs, a crossbar connecting the eyelids, and a weight suspended from the crossbar.

6. In a dolls head, an eye structure com-V prising a slotted bar bridging the opening in the back of the head over which the hair is attached, a pair of rods adjustably secured in the slot in the bar and extending forwardly from the bar, two eyeballs fixed one on the forward end of each of said rods adjacent the eye orbits in the head, eyelids in the form of thin partly-spherical sockets pivotally supported on 'thev eyeballs, said eyelids aving apertures conforming to the eye orbits in the head, a crossbar connecting the e elids, and a weight suspended from the cross ar. l

7. In a dolls head, an eye structure comprising a slotted bar bridging the opening in the back of the head over which the hair is attached, a pair of rods adjustably se cured in the slot in the bar and extending forwardly from the bar, two eyeballs fixed one on the forward end of each of said rods adjacent the eye orbits in the head, eyelids in the form of thin partlyspherical sockets pivotally supported on the eyeballs, said eyelids having apertures conforming to the eye orbits in the head, eyelashes attached to the eyelids adjacent the edges of the apertures, a crossbar connecting the eyelids, and a weight suspended from the crossbar.

8. As a new article of manufacture for use in so-called sleeping dolls, a movable eyelid structure consisting of a pair of substantially semi-Spherical socket members of thin elastic material snap-engaged on and movable over the dolls eyeballs and an inbers of thin elastic material held in snap-enf gagement with said eyeball-members and having an integral bridge member connecting them together for unitary movement, said socket members being formed with gaps conforming to the eye orbit openings in the face of the head and being movable upon the eyeball-members with their gaps into iand out of registration with said openings.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ALBERT BEYLER. 

